—Solving the puzzle of his ‘Scales of India’ sketches—
John Coltrane left behind some cryptic, handwritten study notes entitled ‘Scales of India’. Here, I reveal the curious tale of what they are, where he got them from, and what he was doing with them…
—Project Preview—
The ‘Scales of India’ | Reverend H.A. Popley | Indo-Traning | Future impressions | All 24 scales | Simpkins’ mystery | Carl Grubbs | Supersize sarangi | Feedback | (Discovery)
—About the Project—
Open-access, ad-free global musicology: featuring fresh archival sources, new input from Trane’s collaborators, and insights from musical masters of the East and West – as well as a rundown of the Indian ideas which fascinated Trane so much in the first place… [more soon]
“I collect [Ravi Shankar’s] records…and his music moves me. I’m certain that if I recorded with him I’d increase my possibilities tenfold, because I’m familiar with what he does…” (John Coltrane, 1926-67)
“I would like to discover a method so that if one of my friends is ill, I’d…play a certain song and he will be cured; when he’d be broke, I’d bring out a different song and immediately he’d receive all the money he needed. But what are these pieces, and what is the road to travel to attain a knowledge of them? That I do not know.” (John Coltrane, 1926-67)
• Trane’s Ragas •
John Coltrane left behind some cryptic, handwritten study notes entitled ‘Scales of India’. Here, I unravel the curious tale of what they are, where he got them, and what he was doing with them… [out 2022-23]
George Howlett is a London-based musician, writer, and teacher (guitars, sitar, tabla, & santoor). Above all I seek to enthuse fellow sonic searchers, interconnecting fresh vibrations with the voices, cultures, and passions behind them. See Homepage for more, and hit me up for Lessons!
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